Who better to model a ’90s-inspired clothing collection than the biggest model of that decade, Claudia Schiffer!
The 48-year-old lent her famous face to Ba&sh’s new ’90s-inspired spring campaign, sporting the feminine, every day staples the line is known for. “I love the brand and have worn their collections for years,” Schiffer tells PEOPLE.
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It’s the chic Parisian sensibility mixed with vintage nods that she says speaks to her style. “My personal style is very instinctive,” she says. “I know when something just works and feels effortless to me and I love the style icons from the ’60s and ’70s. Ba&sh works for me because it’s effortless, feminine and bohemian with a Parisian edge, which are all attributes you can find in my personal wardrobe.”
Having surveyed the entire collection, she says she’s taking home the violet floor-length dress to wear with a gold flat sandal or cowboy boot, as it’s styled in the ads.
To learn more about her campaign, we chatted with the star to pick her brain about all-things style, shopping and modeling, including her thoughts on the “supermodel” debate. Find her answers below, as well as behind-the-scenes snaps from her time on set.
PEOPLE: How has your style evolved?
Schiffer: I know what suits me, so there are certain pieces I naturally gravitate to and others that appeal when I feel like trying something new. I guess with that comes a certain confidence, so I follow the shows quite closely and I like to try new trends if they feel right to me.
PEOPLE: How would you describe your style in three words?
Schiffer: True to myself.
PEOPLE: What’s the most meaningful thing in your closet? The oldest thing?
Schiffer: It changes season to season. Last winter I pulled out some old favourites from the ’90s, which were oversized jackets and large handbags, which ended up looking very much on trend. The most meaningful are all the clothes I wore in the late ’80s; they remind me of how I started my career in Paris. The oldest are some of my childhood clothes that my mother kept for me to give to my kids.
PEOPLE: What pieces in your closet are you saving for your daughters?
Schiffer: I’ve kept so much throughout my career that I have quite an extensive archive wardrobe, so they will be spoiled for choice! At the moment, my oldest daughter is pulling out all the very ’90s clothing.
PEOPLE: If you could pinpoint one fashion show that changed your career, which one would it be?
Schiffer: It was my very first fashion show and it was for Chanel, so that was definitely a turning point. Karl [Lagerfeld] was my magic dust; his decision to have me walk the runway transformed me from a shy German teenager into a supermodel.
PEOPLE: How do you think the modeling industry has shifted over the past 20 years?
Schiffer: I think fundamentally it’s the same, but the fashion industry has grown enormously, so the there are more collections and the pace is faster. Social media has also had a huge impact and has given you a way to manage your exposure yourself, which is a huge shift from the past.
PEOPLE: There’s much debate over the term supermodel — what does it mean to you?
Schiffer: To me, it describes the models of the ’90s, which was a time in fashion no one had ever seen before. I would come up with a new term for the big models now that live and breathe social media, because it is very different.
PEOPLE: How do you think social media is changing the modelling game?
Schiffer: I think you always need to be very careful and considered in terms of what you choose to post, but it’s a great way to manage your own exposure. It’s also such an easy, but effective way to share experiences with your followers and show your appreciation for their support.
–Reporting by Brittany Talarico
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